258 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I908. 



hit the thermostat. Around the top of the basket is put a strip 

 of galvanized iron folded down over the edge as shown in the 

 figure. This galvanized strip is soldered at the corners. The 

 purpose of the strip, which is an important feature, is to give 

 the whole basket stiffness and maintain its shape under the 

 rough handling which such baskets must receive when used in 

 breeding operations on a large scale. 



• One of these baskets of the dimensions given will hold 11 

 eggs without undue crowding. When it is desirable, as is often 

 the case in hybridizing work, to incubate a smaller number of 

 eggs from a given female than 11, it is convenient to subdivide 

 the baskets. This is done by the insertion of a removable wire 

 partition such as is shown in the right hand basket in the figure. 

 This partition is cut the right size to fit easily into the basket 

 and is held in place by three twisted wires ; one on each side 

 and one on the bottom. 



There is attached to each basket, or, in the case of the sub- 

 divided baskets to each end, a wired tag on which is placed the 

 band number of the hen whose eggs go into the basket. 



At the time when the eggs are turned for the last time before 

 hatching covers are placed over the baskets. One of these 

 covers is shown in Figure 8. It is a very simple affair consist- 

 ing of a piece of galvanized wire screening bent over a form of 

 suitable size. These covers may be made to fit so tightly that 

 they will not be pushed off by the chickens as they hatch. In 

 the case of an especially crowded basket, however, it is some- 

 times desirable to wire the cover on in order to prevent the 

 escape of any of the chickens as they hatch. 



Chick Leg Band Bender. 

 As the chicks are hatched there is immediately attached to 

 each one a numbered leg band. In the work here the ordinary 

 type of fiat aluminum composition metal chick band is used. 

 These bands come from the manufacturer as a flat strip of metal 

 with a number on one end. Before these can be put on the 

 chicks they must be bent into a circular form. This bending 

 is usually done by hand with a considerable expenditure of time ; 

 particularly when, as is frequently the case, the composition 

 metal of which the bands are made is unduly hard and stiff. 

 Furthermore in bending these chick bands by hand it is difficult 



